LAHORE: A local court in Lahore has extended by four days the physical remand of popular YouTuber Saad ur Rehman, widely known as Ducky Bhai in a gambling case.
Ducky Bhai was arrested last week for allegedly promoting gambling apps and uploading obscene content on social media.
According to court proceedings, the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) produced the YouTuber before the court after his initial two-day remand ended.
The investigating officer, Shoaib Riaz, requested a 28-day extension, arguing that the suspect was linked to an international gambling network.
After hearing arguments from both sides, the court extended his remand until August 23, directing authorities to present him again upon completion of the period.
FIA uncovers online fraud
In July, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) uncovered a mega online fraud, involving around a dozen local and foreign companies and individuals. Billions of rupees were looted by tricking thousands of people, with fake jobs and businesses, the FIR mentions.
Several foreign companies and individuals are named in the case, along with local private banks who were involved in the scam.
Ducky Bhai indirectly caused financial losses
Ducky Bhai was taken into custody on August 17 from Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport.
Investigators allege he promoted several unregistered gambling applications on his YouTube channel and other social media accounts, which caused financial losses to users.
The NCCIA claimed to have recovered WhatsApp chats and payment records from his mobile phone, purportedly showing his ties with the operators of gambling apps.
Officials further alleged that he was working as a country manager for one such application without approval from the State Bank of Pakistan or the Federal Board of Revenue.
TikToker arrested on drug trafficking charges
On Sunday, Chakwal police arrested well-known TikToker Atiqa Nawaz, alias Murshid, on charges of drug trafficking, and recovered 1,050 grams of crystal meth (ice) from her possession.
A case was registered against the TikToker after taking her into custody.
The arrest comes a day after police apprehended another notorious female drug dealer, Gulam Sughra alias Tania Shah, in Mohallah Kazimabad, who was later sent to jail on judicial remand.
Atiqa Nawaz had previously been arrested on August 24, 2024, along with her associate Hafiz Muhammad Sagheer, when the excise department intercepted their car near Peshawar motorway and recovered 14.5 kilograms of hashish.
She was driving the car at the time, which had been rented from Chakwal, and was later granted bail.
